Imran Khan threatens NATO blockade in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province

Islamabad: Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Monday threatened to cut the NATO supply lines in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from November 20 if the US drone strikes do not end.

Khan said that the killing of Tehrik-e-Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike before peace talks could begin was proof that the Americans did not want peace in the country.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is headed by Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party and one of the two routes on which the NATO supplies reach Afghanistan passes through the province.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Khan warned the US to stop bombing Pakistani land through its unmanned planes' campaign and vowed to block the routes from November 20 "if government fails to pursue America to end drone strikes."

Tehrik-e-Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud, along with five other militants, was killed in a US drone attack in the North Waziristan tribal area of Pakistan near the Afghan border on Friday.

The session of the lower house of the Parliament, which commenced after a delay of two-and-a-half hour, was reserved for the debate, setting aside the routine agenda items. Imran, who is a strong opponent of US drone strikes in tribal areas of Pakistan urged political leaders to unite on the matter.

Despite all political differences, Khan said he was ready to reconcile with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Earlier, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan updated the house members of the government's efforts to hold peace talks with the Taliban militants and hurdles being created in doing so.

He again termed the US drone attack, that killed the TTP leader "a conspiracy to derail peace process."

The Minister, however, vowed to continue with efforts for holding peace talks with the Taliban. "This would only be possible after the militant outfit chooses a new chief," he said.